Chamelea
by Missie2
Summary: Shocked by his father's proposal, Quatre forms a plan to get away from him. It succeeds, but he wasn't prepared for Trowa... 3x4 yaoi.
1. Default Chapter

Chamelea

Chamelea

Chapter 1.

Now that I've finished IKWTCBS, I can work on some of the other ideas that my drug-induced hallucinations showed me. Warnings: Hint of possible incest, little else. I don't own anything but my fics and the pain medication that keeps me writing them.

In the Eastern kingdom, there lived a King, predictably with a queen and several daughters. Twenty-nine, in fact. The strain of giving birth for the thirtieth time finally killed the queen minutes after she gave birth to the King's only son, who the King dutifully named Quatre after his dead queen Quatrina. Even about ten minutes after the birth, the baby bore a remarkable resemblance to his mother, from his constantly swirling blue eyes to the thick covering of changeable blonde hair on his head. As a mark of respect to the Queen, the little boy's hair was never to be cut.

The King had a Kingdom to rule, and so he needed a Queen. In the neighboring Kingdoms, alternative solutions had been discovered. A king could appoint a deputy, or rule with a sibling, or even marry someone of the same sex. As long as two people sat on two thrones, the Kingdom remained a Kingdom and not a dictatorship. However, the King of the East was an old-fashioned man, and it would be a while before he died and passed the throne to a daughter and her husband. Not wanting to forget his wife, he decreed that anyone, male or female, who fitted his wife's wedding ring would be his Queen.

Fifteen years passed, and no one could wear the ring. Queen Quatrina had had exceptionally tiny hands and fingers. The King's son. Quatre, was his mother incarnate, or so it seemed to his father, but Quatre had only ever seen his mother's family portrait. Nothing else of hers remained in the castle, except for her ring. When the boy went to look at it, several of his sisters were trying it on.

" What are you doing?"

" EEP! Oh, it's just Quatre. If the ring fits one of us, Father will hand over his throne to her and stop looking for a wife."

" What if he decides to marry one of you if the ring fits?"

" Oh, go get a haircut. Father won't marry one of his daughters, that's sick."

Soon enough, the King entered the room and the daughter holding the ring dropped it. He bellowed when he saw that it was missing.

" WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER'S RING??!!"

To avoid his sisters getting in trouble, Quatre dutifully picked it up and slipped it onto his ring finger, little realizing that he was about to make the biggest mistake of his young life. His father's eyes bulged when he saw that his Queen's ring fit the finger of his youngest son. He immediately grabbed Quatre's hand and hauled him down the hallway to the Chancellor.

'I'm sorry, my Lord. But the law clearly states that whoever the ring fits shall be married to you."

" Then change the law! I can't marry my son!"

" The ring was specially crafted for Quatrina's hand. It seems that only someone of her blood could ever wear it."

" I CANNOT MARRY MY SON!!! What am I going to do?"

" I have an idea."

" I'm all ears."

" The boy is small for his age, and attractive. Suppose you disguise him as a princess from a faraway kingdom…"

" NO!"

" Listen to me! You can tell the people that your son is abroad, and you will have your queen."

" B-b-but…"

" Yes, you must consummate the marriage. Otherwise it is not a proper marriage."

" This is monstrous! I won't do it!"

" Your child is the very image of your late wife. It won't be as hard as you expect it to be. Think it over, and let me know of your decision within a month."

" All right."

The King sat that night in his son's bedroom, watching the boy sleep and thinking of how much he resembled his mother. A shaft of moonlight caught Quatre's long blonde hair, turning it pure white. When there was no moon and just stars, the hair glowed a strange shade of silver. During the day, the sun would illuminate it and turn it an unrivalled color gold. His skin was about that same shade of brilliant white that his hair was at the moment, and his eyes constantly changed color. Just like his mothers. Just like a chameleon.

The King reached over and brushed some long, white strands out of his face. He was loathed to admit it, but he was starting to warm up to the idea of taking the child as his queen. Quatre moaned uneasily at his touch, then woke up. He was startled to find his father looking down at him.

" Father? What are you doing here? Did you sort things out with the Chancellor?"

" Yes, I did."

" Oh, what a relief."

" We will be married in two weeks."

" WHAT?!?!"

" The townspeople will be told that you have gone abroad. In the meantime you will be disguised as a foreign princess."

" You can't be serious!"

" I am deadly serious. It is the law that whoever fits my wife's ring shall be married to me. You know the penalty for breaking a King's decree."

" D-death."

' That's right. You are the image of your mother, no one will suspect that you're a male. And this will have to be a proper marriage, as well."

" Y-y-you mean…"

' I will have to take you in the marriage bed."

" You can't expect me to go through with this!"

" I thought you would react this way. You will be locked in your bedroom until the marriage, and minute guards will be stationed all over the castle to make sure that you do not escape."

" So I don't have a choice, do I?"

The King caressed his son's face and whispered to him huskily.

" It won't be as bad as you think. I will make you happy."

He slowly kissed Quatre's mouth, trying to probe the warm interior with his tongue. Quatre tried not to gag. When he stopped, Quatre decided to buy himself some time to figure out a scheme.

" Can I ask for a favor?"

" Of course, anything."

" If I am to be disguised as a princess, I need a gown. One that my mother would have been proud to wear. It has to be made of the palest silk you can find, a color to rival the moon."

" It shall be made for you. I need to give you a different name, as well."

" Such as?"

" Chamelea. Your mother's pet name."

The King left then, and Quatre lay back on the bed to try and form a plan. An idea struck him, but he would need time to prepare it.

A servant who had taken care of Quatre when he was five had taught him a language that all the animals, big or small, understood and responded to. Although the prince rarely used it, this was an emergency. He leaned out of his bedroom and called for every animal and bird that could hear him to come to his room.

The castle's mice and rats, the church's pigeons and owls, the forest's foxes and rabbits and even the spiders and flies trouped to the prince's bedroom in a swarm. Horses, cattle, sheep and pigs listen from under the window. When all had assembled, Quatre explained his plan to them.

Prince Trowa Barton, of the nearby Southern Kingdom, thought it strange that his late-night hunting expedition failed to bring him any game. Shrugging, he returned to his own castle to prepare for yet another masquerade ball where men and women would pester him to choose one of them as his partner and future Queen.


	2. Chapter 2

Chamelea

Chamelea

Chapter 2.

For those of you who couldn't stand the incest factor of this story, what happened in Chapter one is the extent of its graphic nature. It's all up from here! Usual warnings, I don't own the characters.

Tailors and silk merchants worked for three days straight to make the gown that Quatre had asked for, and construction of a different garment was going on inside the Prince's room, which he kept locked. On the evening of the Third day, the gown was finally finished, and the King with his servants went to Quatre's door to present it to him. Quatre opened the door to take it, but refused to let anyone in.

" It is what I asked for."

" Good. Then we shall be married tomorrow."

" Not yet. Now I need another gown."

" Another? For what?"

" This gown is for the wedding feast. I need one for the procession."

" Fine. I'll commission another gown."

" This one has to be the color of the night sky, with silver running through to rival the stars. I'll agree to nothing until I have it."

" Fine, fine. Get back to work, people."

Inside the bedroom, Quatre sat beside a squirrel to help with the other garment that they were making. It wasn't even close to finished yet, so he would have to buy more time.

Another three days later, the new gown was presented to the Prince, midnight blue with threads of sparkling silver running through it. Again, Quatre took it and closed the bedroom door. Only his voice was heard from outside.

" Yes, this is what I asked for."

" Good. Be ready at two o clock tomorrow."

" I need another gown."

"WHAT?!?!"

" One for the church. And this one should be golden, like the sun."

" Aw, come on!"

" Don't you want me to be a believable princess?"

" All right."

The King left with his servants, muttering about spoiled brats and money not growing on trees. 

Half a dozen birds flew into Quatre's bedroom with scraps of fur and feathers, and they continued working.

The church dress was completed within two days, because of the King's impatience. Once again, Quatre took it into his room, and closed the door before the King could barge his way in.

" This is perfect. But now…"

" Ooohhh, no! No more gowns! We're getting married TOMORROW!"

" But I need one more gown for the wedding night!"

" Oh, all right then. What does this fabulous creation look like?"

" Silk, embroidered with feathers and butterfly wing panels at the back."

" Okay, but this is the LAST one!"

" I agree. Give me this, and we will be married the next day."

The last dress and the garment the animals had been making were completed within minutes of each other. Not bothering to knock, the King slipped the dress under the door and waited for Quatre to speak.

" It's beautiful. We can marry tomorrow."

" Good. And these dresses have to last you the rest of our marriage so don't spill any crap on them!"

When the night fell, Quatre wrapped the four dresses inside a sheet and hid the sheet inside a fold of his garment. The object that he and the animals had been working on was an enormous cloak of fur and feathers that completely hid the Prince's slender form. His long blonde hair was concealed in a pouch inside the hood, and it was full of pockets to carry some items he needed. After slipping this cloak on, he called a horse under his window, and slipped out of the castle grounds unnoticed.

Prince Trowa of the Southern Kingdom decided to go for a gallivant before he had to return and prepare for yet another party. He approached the new stable boy, a strange lad who always wore a cloak of fur and feathers and never showed his face.

" Can I help you, your highness?"

" Yes, could you saddle up Shadow for me?"

" Of course."

Just as the stable boy had disappeared around the corner, Trowa realized that he probably didn't know which horse Shadow was. As a joke, the Prince's friend Duo of the Western kingdom had given him a white stallion and named him Shadow. It often caused confusion with the new staff, but he was surprised when the boy came around the corner with the right horse.

" So you already know all the horses?"

" Yes, my Lord. They introduced themselves to me."

Trowa was about to say something else when the clock tower chimed 6 and he had to go in to get ready.

" Crap. I have to go in."

" The masquerade ball?"

" Yes. At least we're having goose. Otherwise I'd never be able to stand it."

" Goose? How awful!"

" What? I like goose."

" So do I. That's why I don't eat them."

He nearly laughed at that, but he wasn't the kind of person that laughed much. Strangely enough, he was enjoying the conversation, which was very surprising since he didn't talk much either.

" Why do you wear a hood? Are you hideously ugly or something?"

" Maybe, maybe not."

" What does that mean?"

" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I prefer not to let people behold me."

As much as he would have loved to stay and continue this strange chat, Trowa heard servants calling him from inside. Without a word, he went in.

That night, Trowa sat between his friends from the other Kingdoms, Duo of the West, Heero of the North and Wufei of the Far East. He was staring at the cooked geese on the table and feeling a little sick. Duo was wolfing down huge portions of them and making comments on the party between gulps.

" Jeez Tro ( chomp ) all the girls in the Kingdom (gulp) and a couple of good looking guys too (snap) and you can't just pick one! What's the matter with you?"

Wufei was rolling his eyes at the Western Price while picking delicately at some vegetables on his plate. Trowa was way behind his friends where marriage was concerned. Wufei was already onto his second wife, Princess Sally, after losing his first to childbirth, and he was only seventeen! Heero and Duo had been married and ruling jointly for a year over their two Kingdoms. Until Trowa found a partner, a Regent would rule in his place. He was about to give up and seek out someone adequate from the crowd in the room when the music stopped and everyone fell quiet.

Someone had arrived late, a beautiful girl with ice blue eyes and long white-blonde hair, dressed in a gown of pure white silk that matched her hair exactly. She made such a stunning picture that the whole room was silent.

When everybody started speaking and moving around again, Trowa was still staring transfixed at the girl. Duo gave a low wolf-whistle and grinned.

" She's a looker, eh, Tro? Mind if I ask her to dance, Heero? Thought not…"

Before he knew what he was doing, Trowa yanked Duo's three-foot braid and pulled him back into his seat before getting up and to ask her to dance himself. Staring at him strangely, she agreed and he led her out onto the floor.

" What's your name?"

" Chamelea."


	3. Chapter 3

Chamelea

Chamelea

Chapter 3

Usual warnings, usual disclaimer. Thanks to Kasra for all her Reviews! ***sniff*** You like me, you really like me! I'll work on the sequel to My Sweet Quatrina and The Cathach soon.

* * * * * *

"Chamelea? I don't think I've ever heard a name like that before."

" I was named after a chameleon. Because I'm changeable."

The girl turned on her toes as the music dictated, her long white-blonde hair flowing like a stream behind her. Murmurs were heard around the room, obviously discussing the prospect of Trowa taking this young lady as his Queen. His friends were all watching from their table, Heero and Wufei vaguely interested and Duo waving an imaginary flag around everytime he caught Trowa's eye.

Trowa put an arm around Chamelea's slender waist and gazed appreciatively at her from under his waterfall of soft auburn fringe. The paleness of the garment she was wearing made her look bloodless, perfectly white from her hair to her tiny hands and feet, except for her eyes, blue but pale as ice. She was like the moon. The words were out of Trowa's mouth before he knew it.

" Beautiful."

She gave him a strange look.

" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

He smiled faintly. That was the second time today that he had heard someone say that.

" And do you not like to be beholden?"

" Many of the people in this room don't really know what they are beholding."

Just as he was about to ask her about this comment, the clock struck one, and she turned away from him and walked to the door. Trowa tried to catch her before she left.

" Where are you going?"

" I must leave now."

" All right, but where do you come from? Where can I find you?"

" Keep your eyes open and you will find me. Whether you see me or not is something different."

She whisked herself out of the room then and disappeared into the night. Trowa was left feeling confused.

* * * * * *

" Cheer up, Tro! A little rejection isn't the end of the world! Sure, she was cute, but what can you do? These things happen."

" He's right. Do your duty, marry and rule your Kingdom."

" Besides, blonde girls are usually stalkers. You're better off without her."

Trowa was getting a little sick of these pep talks. No one could give him advice. Duo was too complacent, Wufei was on a duty and justice high and Heero had had too many bad experiences with Lady Relena to be of any help to him. Finally, he decided that a ride on his horse would clear his head.

The strange stable boy was already inside the stall with Shadow, talking softly to it in a strange language. He approached the boy and asked him to saddle up the horse. While he was doing this, he let his mind wander back to Chamelea. How she had looked, how good she had felt in his arms, what she had said…what did she mean, anyway? Keep his eyes open? A soft voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

" What's the matter, your Highness?"

" Nothing for you to concern yourself with, boy."

The boy turned back to his work. Then Trowa changed his mind.

" You seem to be an eloquent speaker. Maybe you can help me."

' I'll do my best, sir."

Trowa explained his situation and told the stable boy of Chamelea's cryptic remark.

" So what do you think she meant?"

" A lot of people judge by appearance. She may look different the next time you see her, and you may not recognize her."

" How could I not recognize her? She was beautiful…"

" She looked beautiful to you last night. By day, she could be a witch, or an enchantress, or a serving maid…"

" Hn."

" She could be a boy."

" WHAT?"

" She could be a very feminine boy disguised as a girl. It's a possibility. Would you recognize her in men's clothes, or clothes of any other description?"

" Yes. It wouldn't matter to me whether she's male or female."

" It would on your wedding night."

Trowa took one look at the boys laughing blue eyes shining from under the cloak and started laughing himself. He wasn't used to laughing so much, and the rich sound made several servants look outside. Finally he wiped the tears from his eyes and sighed.

" You have a dirty mind, stable boy."

" I am only a commoner. I hear things around this house."

" What is your name, anyway?"

" Quatre, sir."

" Well, I've actually enjoyed talking to you. I hope to do more of it soon."

" I'm always here."

" I should go now. There's another feast tonight."

" Another? So soon after the first?"

" Yes. But we've spared the geese this time."

" Which hapless animals came under the cleaver instead?"

" Uh, the pigs."

" Oh, God, poor Snowball."

" You really shouldn't name them."

" I didn't. They name themselves." 

" I won't be able to eat tonight."

" Don't let Snowball die in vain, sir."

" I'll try not to. Good evening, Quatre."

" Good evening, your Highness. Keep your eyes open."

* * * * * *

" Snowball."

" What's that, Tro?"

" Nothing."

Trowa felt a little queasy watching Duo shove ham into his gaping mouth, but stifled it when a familiar flow of conversation told him that Chamelea had entered.

She had, but she looked completely different to the way she had looked the previous night. She was dressed in a gown of the darkest blue velvet that matched her previously ice-blue eyes, and the soft threads of silver embroidery made her sheet of blonde her seem a shining sheath of silver. Her skin was still perfectly white, but tinged with a pale silver glow. She was like a completely different person.

Trowa smiled at her and walked over.

" Shall we dance, Chamelea?" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chamelea

Chamelea

Chapter 4

All right, I'm going to do some SERIOUS work today. My muse, Twinkle, has finally returned with some inspiration so I can work. RONALD MCDONALD IS THE WORLD'S NO.1 SERIAL KILLER! As if you couldn't tell from this fic, I'm a strict vegetarian.

The silver strands of Chamelea's skirt caught the light as her midnight-blue velvet dress swirled around her, and the effect made her hair light up the room in a brilliant silver sheen. The previous night, she had resembled something like a ghost, pure white and wraith-like. Tonight she was more like a painting, still perfect but more lifelike.

Trowa danced with her all night, trying to ignore the murmurs of the crowd around them, his friend's nods of approval and, in particular, Duo's excessively loud support that could be heard from the other side of the ballroom.

The clock struck one, and as she had done the night before, Chamelea turned to leave. Trowa caught her arm.

" When will I see you again?"

She gave him a sad sort of smile.

" You see me every day. You just don't realize it."

With that, she ran out of the door, with Trowa following. Outside, he heard her call a horse in a strange language, then she leapt on its back and they galloped away. Trowa stared helplessly after her.

There was no doubt about it. This was the woman he wanted to marry.

The next day, Trowa wandered aimlessly around the castle grounds, thinking about Chamelea. Just when he had been about to drive his head through the wall with frustration, he saw the one person that might distract him for a little while.

" Quatre! Come here, please."

The stable boy's bright turquoise eyes shone from underneath the hood of his cloak. Trowa could have sworn that he saw a hint of midnight blue run through them as well.

" Yes, my Lord?"

He told Quatre of what had happened last night, and what the girl had said.

" What do you think she meant?"

" Maybe she thinks that you put too much emphasis on her appearance. Think about it, if she wasn't wearing some sort of expensive gown the next time you see her, would you really recognize her?"

" Of course I would. This is the woman that I want to marry."

" Why?"

" What do you mean, why?"

" Why do you want her so badly, if not for her looks?"

" It's more than her looks. She's intelligent as well."

" So is Shadow here. Would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with a horse based on his intelligence?"

" Don't talk nonsense."

" I'm not. There are a lot of people in this Kingdom who are just as beautiful as the girl you described, and many who are just as intelligent. Why do you want her, and not one of them?"

" It's more than that. I know I'm in love."

" How do you know?"

" It's hard to describe."

" Humor me."

" I feel alive around her. Around anyone else, I am a Prince, nothing more. With her, I feel… human."

" Don't you fell this way about anyone else in your Kingdom?"

Trowa looked at the stable boy and felt a wave of revelation. The way he felt around Quatre was similar to the way he felt around Chamelea. But there was one factor missing. Physical attraction.

" I do feel this way about only one other person, but certain factors prevent us from being together."

" Such as?"

Trowa sighed deeply.

" Physical attraction."

Quatre's eyes flashed with anger from under the hood.

" Maybe the girl is right. You judge purely by appearance."

" How dare you speak to me in such an insolent manner!"

" You've never had a problem with it before. Why is it that you only act like a Prince when I insult you?"

" I'm starting to regret talking to you."

" What else can you do with me? You certainly cannot look at me like you would look at your beloved princess, or a lifeless oil painting. What is there left to do but talk to me as if we were two human beings?"

Without another word, Trowa walked off, feeling angry and a little uncomfortable.

" What shall the carnivores be enjoying at tonight's ball, your Highness?"

His bad mood dissipated and he let himself chuckle.

" They massacred the cows tonight."

" Well, be careful. Daisy had a lot of skin and bladder problems."

" I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Trowa fought the urge to be violently sick when he watched his friends and most of the guests swallow chunk after chunk of roast beef. He really wanted to make it through the evening so that he could ask Chamelea to be his queen.

" Hey, Tro, when's your girlfriend getting here? I'm surprised that you're not gay like the rest of us, but if she doesn't show up you'll have to make do, right?"

" You should hurry up and marry her, as is your duty."

" Yeah, 'cos you sure aren't getting any younger!"

Trowa was glad to get away from them when Chamelea finally arrived. This time, she was wearing a dress of bright gold, the color of the sun, that made her eyes seem as clear as the azure skies outside and her hair glowed a brilliant golden-blonde. Smiling at Trowa, she beckoned him towards her. After dancing for a while, he asked her to speak with him outside.

" I want you to become my Queen."

" Why me and not another?"

" I love you."

" No, I suspect that you are in love with my image. I cannot be a showpiece."

" I am weighted down by my Father's crown, and I must choose a partner."

" You are cursed with your Father's crown, just as I was cursed with my Mother's ring."

" What?"

On the ring finger of one hand, Chamelea wore a small, oddly shaped ring, which she slid off to present to Trowa.

" When my Mother died, it was decreed that whoever had a finger small enough to fit this ring would be my Father's new bride."

Trowa nodded. It sounded a little backwards but it was reasonable. But wait, why was she wearing it…

" The ring could only fit one of my Mother's children, and so I was told to marry my Father."

Trowa looked at her in horror. Marry her Father?

" I managed to escape him, but I refuse to be part of a royal decree. If you must marry me, take me as your partner and not your Queen. And don't take me as a trophy."

Forgetting that Trowa was still holding the ring, Chamelea turned and ran outside before he could stop her. The Prince sighed and stared at the ring. And a grin broke out across his face. He had an idea.


	5. Chapter 5

Chamelea

Chamelea

Chapter 5

All right, this is the last Chapter of this fic. Now I can work on some other ideas. R+R please.

* * * * * *

" Sounds to me you're looking for Cinderella."

" Thank you, Duo. You are the fifteenth person to say something like that to me. Chamelea told me herself that she was the only one able to wear this ring."

Trowa and his friends were scrutinizing the ring after nearly seven hundred women and men had tried it on. The idea had seemed great to him at the time, but so far no one fitted the ring and he had heard so many Cinderella jokes that he was getting ready to throw it out the window.

" What if your girly never shows up?"

" I'll find her."

* * * * * *

Two hours and an awful lot of people later, Trowa went to look for Quatre, hopefully to vent his frustration. He found the stable boy talking to Shadow it that strange language of his. It seemed strange that both Chamelea and Quatre were the only people he knew with that skill. Quatre saw him and greeted the Prince.

" Good evening, your Highness."

" Good evening."

" Is something the matter? You look tired."

Trowa told him about the ring, and just missed the amusement in the stable boy's eyes.

" And if you make a Cinderella joke, you're fired."

" I wouldn't dream of it, sir. But what will you do if your plan fails?"

" I'll try it on every man and woman in the country until I find her."

" But what if it fits the wrong person? Your decree says that the person who fits the ring will marry you. If it fits someone other than Chamelea, will you marry that person?"

" It's a gamble, but I will stick to my promise. I'm confident that I will find her."

" I haven't tried the ring yet."

" You? You might as well, for a laugh."

Trowa walked with Quatre to where the ring was sitting on a velvet cushion for display. One very small white hand appeared from underneath the heavy fur and feathered cloak, and the prince did a double take. He'd never actually seen Quatre's hands before.

To his immense shock, the ring slid easily onto Quatre's finger and fit perfectly on his ring finger. The Prince gaped, and Quatre's eyes smiled ironically from underneath the cloak.

" The ring fits your stable boy. Shall you keep your promise, or try to be rid of me?"

Getting over his initial shock quickly, Trowa smiled.

" Actually, besides Chamelea, I don't think there's anyone I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."

Quatre's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected this. Trowa took his hand under the cloak.

" We'd better get you cleaned up. The ceremony will be tomorrow."

" There's no need for that. I'm perfectly clean."

With that, Quatre undid the string of the enormous cloak and let it fall to the floor. His long blonde hair, flashing a combination of gold, silver and white, tumbled out across his shoulders and cascaded to his waist. Underneath the cloak, he was wearing a dress of a thousand different colors that reflected in his eyes, embroidered with intricate feathers. Two long lace panels drifted from his back like wings. He smiled shyly at Trowa, whose eyes were filling his face.

" Chamelea?"

" No, Quatre. Chamelea is the image you fell in love with. Quatre is the person. And despite how I appear to you now, I am a Prince, not a Princess. Are you still willing to marry me?"

Trowa smiled and pulled Quatre into his embrace.

" Now more than ever."


End file.
